The Warrioress
by AzaKochou-Heartbreaker
Summary: Can she protect her town and her kingdom? Out of all the people in her town, she was chosen as the Warrior. With the help of the kingdom's only elemental mage and the best martial artist and weaponary, she is to help defeat the most feared enemy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Shawn Longsword stood at his master's door, wondering what he wanted. _What did I do now?_ He thought as he brushed his unruly hair out of his dark brown eyes. Finally the door opened to reveal a tall man with golden blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, standing behind a mahogany desk. Shawn entered the room and bowed to the man. "You summoned, sir?" Shawn asked politely as he could. His nerves were eating at him. He was known for his impatience and sharp tongue.  
"Please sit, Shawn. Would you like some juice?" His master was stalling, though Shawn couldn't quite figure out why. Shawn shook his head to the offered cup and sat down in the chair facing the desk. "I summoned you here because our magic informed that the town, Shinyo, warrior has reached the age of training. The King and Queen have chosen you to be the mentor and protector."  
Shawn nearly jumped out of his seat in excitement, but his years of training and punishments had held in place. "If I may, sir, but why me?" Inside, Shawn was dancing for joy. _This is great. I'll become a legend!_ Shawn thought to himself.

"You are the best of all our warriors." A new voice answered his question. Shawn jumped out of his seat and bowed even deeper to this newcomer. The newcomer was clad in the royal colors of lavender and crimson. His face was stern and gentle with an enchanting set of hazel eyes. Unlike Shawn's brown hair, his hair was a dark brown, almost black, and curled at the ends. He didn't need a crown to show that he was the king; his aura was stronger than Shawn's personal master.

"Your Majesty." Shawn said, quietly and formally. King James was a kind and gentle man. Shawn had became a warrior to serve this man.

"Please sit, Master Shawn." King James invited him. He was a master of martial arts and weaponry. "Shawn, the Queen and I want you to train this warrior. You came from a small town like her."

"Sire, you said her. I thought only men could be warriors of their towns." Shawn asked.

"Our mage has told us that it's a female. You'll be looking for a girl with a crescent moon and star on her neck. You may encounter some troubles on this mission." Shawn's master finally spoke since the king's arrival.

"When do I leave?" Shawn inquired quietly.

"Tomorrow morning." The king said.

"If it pleases My Lord and Your Majesty, may I be excused to begin packing for my trip?" Shawn asked politely.

The king and master nodded. Shawn bowed again to the important men.

Shawn was waiting at the stable doors, talking to the hostler, when a boy with black/brown hair, which was kept short, showed up. He wore a tan tunic and brown breeches; over his clothes, he wore a black cloak. As he approached with a brown and white stallion, he waved to Master Shawn.

"Master Shawn, I'm Louis of Castillo. I'm the mage who is to travel with you." The boy said.

Shawn looked the boy over. _He looks to be a year older. He does have the air of a powerful mage_. Shawn thought as the hostler bowed first to Shawn and then to the new comer, then left them alone. "Did His Majesty send you to babysit me?"

"No, sir. I asked them to send me with you. She may have questions on why its her and not one of the young men of her town. I can also be helpful in her training and protection." Louis said as he mounted his horse.

Shawn followed suit. "What was the vision precisely?" In truth, he was curious about the vision. He nudged his horse into motion as Louis rode beside him.

"It started out…" Louis started. He talked about the vision. "The only hint of who it may be is the birthmark."

"The crescent moon and star." Shawn said quietly to himself and his partner.

"Yeah." Louis was quiet. He knew to leave Shawn alone for a little while. Shawn's personal master said that Shawn was impatient, but when he was thinking, he liked to be left alone.

Shawn broke the silence after a while of riding. "So what's your magic?" Shawn took a bite from the roll he snagged from one of the kitchen maids.

"I'm an elemental mage. I have control over all the elements." Louis told him.

"Then how come you can have visions?"

"My mother was a seer and my father was a fire mage. I inherited my grandmother's magic, water, earth, and air, and my parents' magic."

Shawn whistled quietly. _Powerful indeed. He can help by creating opponents to test the girl._ He thought as he asked more questions.

"Your turn." Louis said after answering Shawn's last question. "What was your life like before coming the Master of Martial Arts and Weaponry?"

"Well, my father was the warrior of our town. Everyone was surprised when my younger's brother was chosen to be the successor. My father had hoped it was me. Though I had a knack for martial arts. David, my younger brother, would watch me fight the air in the mornings. He would bug me to teach him. So, ever morning and evening we would spar with each other. Then when I was about ten, I was chosen to attend the palace as an apprentice to the Master of Martial Arts. I received my education and training there at the palace. Often times, my father would come and visit. Last I heard David had taken up the position as Warrior."

"What of your mother?"

"She was killed in a bandit raid when I was three."

"Oh… I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We better make camp. Its starting to get dark." The sky was getting darker as the sun went down behind the vast mountain ranges.

A couple days later, Shawn and Louis arrived at Shinyo to be greeted by the headman of the town and all the women. While Louis greeted the headman, Shawn's well trained eye quickly scanned all the women's neck for the birthmark. _She's not here_. He thought as he shook his head when Louis glanced at him. He then greeted the headman with a polite, political smile.

"Welcome to our humble town, Master Shawn, Master Louis." The headman greeted them friendly. "You are both welcome to stay at my place. My wife and daughters would love to have guests."

"Thank you." Shawn said for both of them.

The headman directed him to a small house at the back of the town. A woman in her late-thirties, maybe mid-forties, came out of the house; her hair, reaching just above her shoulders, was a soft brown. She was wringing her hands on a greasy apron. "Welcome to our home, Masters Shawn and Louis." She greeted with a curtsied in her cream cotton dress. "Supper will be ready in an hour." She then left them to go back inside. The headman then led Shawn and Louis inside as stable hand came for their horses.

"Lenne!" The headman called. "Lenne is our oldest daughter." He explained as a girl with long brown hair came in. He wore tan breeches instead of a skirt or gown, like most women wore. Shawn's eyes spotted the birthmark on her delicate neck, just above a gold chain. "Lenne will show you to your rooms and give you a tour of the house." The headman then left them with Lenne.

Lenne's eye, well trained when it came to men and horses, looked Louis and Shawn from head to toe. _He is handsome, but not my type_. She thought as she looked Louis over. _And he has a scar from his forehead to this right cheekbone, right between his brown eyes._ Lenne thought as she felt his gaze on her neck. "What?" She wasn't use to this. Mainly guys would stare at her chest, not her neck.

"Your birthmark; has it always been there?" Shawn was mentally smacking himself for asking such a stupid question as Louis tried to fix the situation.

Lenne looked at Shawn more carefully as she answered, blankly, "Yeah." _What is he doing?_ She thought to herself. "Come on, I'll show you to your rooms." She then took Shawn's hand to pull him toward the hallway that she came from.

She showed Louis to his room and told him that her younger sister would come for him at supper and show him around the house. After they left Louis' room, there was a very uncomfortable silence.

"I'm sorry for asking such a stupid question. I've just never seen one like it." Shawn said, a blush creeping onto his cheeks as he looked at their hands. Sure, women have touched his hands before, but he never felt like he did at the present. _Their warm… What is going on? You are on a mission, not to get distracted by a female's touch._ His cooler self thought.

She then left go when she felt his eyes on her hand. "That's all right." She turned and smiled, sending chills down his spine.

Now, Shawn thought he was transported to another land. She then stopped in front of a room. She opened the door and gestured for him to enter. He walked into a room, walls lined with books and a single portrait. At the far end, behind the desk, was a full set of windows, opened to cool the room off and bring in fresh air. "This will be your work room." She then went to another door just opposite of the portrait. "Your bed chamber and privy are just in this room. The closet for your gear and cloaks is right next to your bedchamber." She pointed at the door next to door she was standing in front of. "You're welcome to change and rest before supper. I'll come and get you then to give you a tour of the house." She moved past him and went towards the open door before turning around again. "Would you like a warm bath?"

"Yes, please."

"Then it shall be here in a moment. Anything else?"

"Why do you wear breeches instead of a gown?"

"Because it's fairly hard to ride horseback in a dress." Her brown eyes glittered with amusement. She then shut the door and walked off.

Shawn set his bags on the burgundy wood, gazing along the book filled walls until he came across the single portrait. It was a painting of Lenne and a younger girl. Lenne, dressed in a strapless gown, her eyes were a deep brown. Her hair hung down her back and shoulders. Very little face paint on her eyes only intensified her natural beauty. Her birthmark was just above a gold necklace on a gold chain, like the one she wore earlier. Her gown hugged her curves perfectly and fanned out. The bodice of the stunning gown was a deep but bright purple with gold hemming on the top and lining of the bodice and skirt. The skirt matched the bodice, except for the color was darker than the bodice with gold designs covering it. The girl in front of Lenne looked a lot like her except for the light brown hair and dazzling light brown eyes and the gown. Her gown was a light blue with silver designs. She held Lenne's hand.

"That's was our youngest sister before she left for the local temple to become a priestess." A new feminine voice said from the window. "Her name is Megumi. Hi, I'm Sarah; Lenne's younger sister."

Shawn turned to face Sarah. She didn't look anything like her sisters. She wore her strawberry blonde hair in a French braid, coiled around her head like a headband while the rest hung down her back. Sarah wore a light pink gown, which complimented her bright blue eyes. "You look nothing like Lenne." Shawn said.

"I know; I look more like my aunt than my parents or sisters." Sarah said. "Well I've got some chores to do before dinner, so I'll see you then." She bowed as she left the window.

Shawn shook his head as he heard a knock at the door. A maid carried in some towels and told him that his water was ready. He thanked her and went into the bedchambers to bathe.

Lenne sat in her personal library, reading one of her father's books of history when there was a knock at her door. "Come in." she called from cushioned chair by the window. She looked up just in time to see Sarah dance into the room. "You look happy." It was the truth, Sarah did look happy.

"I saw the Master of Martial Arts and Weaponry in his rooms. He was gazing at the portrait of you and Megumi. He had _that_ look in his eyes." Sarah floated toward her older sister.

"What look?" Lenne knew what look her sister meant. She just didn't want it to be true.

"You know what look. You get it from all the guys." Sarah sat beside her sister on the window cushion. "I think he likes you."

Lenne shook her head. "No, it can't be that."

"What could it be then?"

Lenne sighed, giving up. "Come on, dinner should be ready. You need to change out of that. Remember we have guests visiting, and you're showing Master Louis around the house."

"Only the Master of Martial Arts and Weaponry and the mage."

"Nope. Megumi and the Arch Priest and Priestess are coming to visit us along with Master Shawn and Master Louis. Now shoo! I need to get ready."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Shawn woke to the sound of a knock on his bedchamber door. He had changed into his formal wear for when he ate at the palace parties. "It's open!" He called as he ran a brush quickly through his hair. The door opened to show his servant that was assigned to him by the headman.

"My Lord, Her Lady Lenne is here to show you to the dining room." He said, bowing to Shawn.

"You don't need to call me that. I'm not a noble, just a commoner." Shawn said, as he walked into the workroom. Lenne sat in the chair closet to the door. She looked absolutely beautiful. She wore a strapless, sparkling, midnight blue gown. Her hair was down and hanging down her back and shoulders. She also wore a headband that went over her hair and forehead, with a deep blue drop hanging on the band. Again she wore little face paint.

Apparently he stood with his mouth open, because Lenne laughed quietly. "It's not polite to gape, Master Shawn."

"Sorry. It's just… you're very beautiful in that."

"Thank you." She got up and the gown whispered at the movement. "Let's go." As Shawn walked by, Lenne grabbed his arm softly and began to fix his hair with her fingers. "Connor, wet his comb and bring it to me. The Archpriest and Arch priestess are coming to dinner tonight." Connor came back with the comb and a small bowl full of water. Lenne thanked him and dipped the comb in the water, then shook it out. She then ran the wet comb through his hair.

Shawn watched her, feeling the same feeling he felt when she held his hand. _What is going on?_ His warrior self questioned. Shawn felt Lenne's hand leave his hair as she placed the comb on the table. She smiled, looking at her work.

"There. Now we can leave." She turned and headed toward the door. Shawn's etiquette training kicked in as he caught up to her before she reached the door. When she came to the door, he held it open for her. In a reward, he received a sweet smile. She waited for him outside while Shawn grabbed his sword and closed the door. When he strapped his sword on his belt, Lenne took his offered arm.

They talked as she showed him where her father's personal library and the stairwell to the back room. She showed him her and Sarah's room in case he may need to find them. She gave him a tour of the house as they walked to the dining room. Shawn asked her questions about her childhood; she then would tell him stories of her and her sisters. They had arrived at the dinning room as Shawn gave an inward groan. He had been so caught up in his conversation with Lenne that he forgot about Louis.

"Ah, Lady Lenne, you are as beautiful as a rose." Louis stated with a flirtatious bow to her.

Lenne curtsied to the annoying, flirtatious mage with a maidenly blush. "I thank you, Your Lordship."

"Wow, someone get Lenne to blush. Hooray for him." A soft voice said from the doorway leading into the dinning room. Shawn and Lenne turned and found a girl shorter than Sarah and Lenne. She wore a traditional headdress of the moon priestess. She wore a head band over her eyes. The headdress was a silver cloth that covered her hair and back. It then wrapped around her chest and lower back. The skirt top on the right side came out from underneath the bottom of the top and went to her ankles with slits going up on either side to an inch above her knees, revealing black breeches. The band around her waist was a dark grey with diamonds in the designs.

"Megumi!" Lenne and Sarah called. The girl, Megumi, smiled as her older sisters came to her and gave her a hug. When the sisters' separated, Louis, who came to stand next to him, and Shawn bowed to the Moon Priestess, Archpriest of the Sun, and the Arch priestess of the Moon.

"Master Shawn and Master Louis, I am Arch Priest Alexander. I serve the God of the Sun, Apollo." The tall man standing behind Megumi, said. Alexander wore a long robe with slits on the sides which went up to his knees. Underneath the robe, he wore dark brown breeches. He kept the hood of his robe on, as was tradition for priests and priestesses. All the outer cloth was the color of a dusk gold. Shawn bowed deeply to him. Apollo was known to be the god of the Sun, warriors, and men.

"Young masters, I am Arch priestess Edea." The woman standing next to Alexander spoke to the men. She wore the same clothing as Megumi, but with a silver-blue color. "I serve the Great Goddess of the Moon, Artemis." Artemis was known as the Mother goddess, moon, warrioress, archers, mages, and women. The women and Louis bowed deeply to her.

"My Lady Priestess, where is Mercedes?" Lenne asked.

"Here I am!" A woman came into the room with the headman's wife. She had wavy brown hair that reached to an inch above her shoulders. She wore a strapless tunic and short breeches. At her waist was a small dagger. Her amber brown eyes looked Shawn and Louis over as if determining whether or not if they were a threat. She must've thought that they weren't because she turned her attention back Lenne. "You should know I don't leave my little sister alone." She tilted her head slightly to Shawn and Louis. "Master Shawn Longsword and Master Louis of Castillo, I'm Mercedes Shinya. Priestess Edea is my younger sister."

Louis bowed to Mercedes with a flirtatious smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mistress Mercedes." Shawn only nodded.

Shawn caught Lenne looking at him and smiled at her.

"Please be seated." The headman's wife invited everyone as her husband walked in.

Everyone took their seats with the headman and his wife at the heads of the table. Shawn sat next to his traveling companion and Mercedes. Lenne sat across from him and next to her younger sister and the Priestess Edea.

As the supper was served, the headman asked Shawn for details at the palace. While Shawn announced the latest news from the palace, Megumi whispered something into Lenne's ear causing her to blush slightly and shake her head.

After the news was given, Alexander turned to look at Shawn and Louis from his position next to Megumi, "Why come here, Shawn? What brings the Master of Weaponry and Martial Arts and the only elemental mage to our town?"

Shawn straightened, he knew this would happen. "We were ordered by King James and Queen Elizabeth to come train your town's warrior."

Lenne then spoke, "And who would be this warrior be exactly."

"The warrior is you, Lady Lenne." Shawn said calmly.

"What?" Lenne exclaimed, completely shocked.

Louis cleared his throat, drawing attention to him and away from Shawn. "As you may know, I have the ability to receive visions. We know it was you, Lenne."

"How do you know that it's my sister?" Megumi asked, consciously wrapping her arm around Lenne's arm, as if showing her concern and fear for her sister. Sarah merely set down her utensils and leaned back.

"He had a vision few days ago." Shawn said slowly, watching the three sisters. "You all know the risks of being a Warrior, especially for you, Lady Lenne."

They either looked down or nodded, depending on who they were. Alexander cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to the subject. "And what would the vision be?"

"It started with the face of our kingdom's most feared enemy. Now, mind you, I didn't see Lady Lenne's face, only her birthmark," Lenne touched her birthmark with her index finger. "I saw the King and Queen rewarding the Warrior and bringing him, or her, into the Counsel of Warriors. The only way I could tell it was a female was, excuse me for being disrespectful, Lady Lenne, your legs and chest." Louis explained, an aura of a powerful mage and representative of the Crown filled the room. "When I told the King, he insisted that he send a trained Master to train her. So he called for Master Shawn to come here and seek her out. I only came along to help train and explain why it was you, Lady Lenne."

Lenne and her sisters remained quiet as their father spoke up. "I never thought that one of my daughters would follow my brother's footsteps."

"Your brother?" Shawn asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Yes. You may know him, Master Shawn. Master Ryan is my older brother."

"He was a Warrior?" Shawn was now confused.

"Ryan really didn't like all the popularity of being a Warrior. People, including his friends, treated him differently. Ryan had written me when the news of Shinyo's new Warrior reached his area of the palace. That's why Lenne, Megumi, and Sarah weren't there to greet you."

"That's why your daughters are known as Ladies." Louis observed. "They're his heirs aren't they?"

"Yes." The headman said. "Their uncle wanted to make sure that they would be cared for when we die."

"Papa! You can't let her go!" Megumi cried. She still hung unto her sister's arm.

"Meg, I must. You know that I must; my lord uncle taught me to accept whatever His Sire would wish me to do." Lenne's voice was emotionless and serious. Her eyes also withheld any emotion she may have been feeling. "If I may be excused." She looked at her father, Priest and Priestess. They nodded as maids came and cleaned up. Lenne got up and ran from the room. Shawn nodded at the Priest and Priestess and went after her.

Lenne ran to the stables as the stable hands were quickly preparing her horse for another ride. Instead of her breeches that she normally wore, she still was wearing the dinner gown. She swung her self unto the saddle and rode off. She passed Shawn, riding as fast as the wind. He whistled for his horse to come to him. Everyone was coming out as Shawn, riding bare back, chased after Lenne.

"Shawn's father and brother are Warriors. He knows the risks and dangers of being a warrior. He'll talk to her." Louis explained from the back of the group.

Megumi whispered something to Priestess Edea and left, heading out of her family's courtyard, most likely heading back to the temple, where she was suppose to be making her rounds. Everyone stood around watching as the moon, full that night and shining brightly, before heading off the house or the temples.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lenne rode for hours it seemed until she reached her favorite spot in the woods. She went deep into the forest that surrounded her town to a small lake. Lenne climbed off her horse and led her to a patch of alfalfa. She brushed her horse down, whispering compliments to her. Finally finishing her tasks, she moved toward the lake. The lake had a small island which had a cross on top of it. Lenne's eyes immediately filled with tears. Near the grave were a patch of white lilies; Lenne picked a couple and walked toward the grave on the stepping stones. She picked up her skirts as she slowly stepped on the stones.

She reached the grave and placed the flowers on the grave. Suddenly a small fairy flew to her from a flower by the headstone. The fairy had long red hair which was behind her small, pointy ears. Aeria wore a light pink, v-neck gown which has a low back for her long, thin wings to be free of cloth and strings. Aeria guarded the grave from anyone who had no good intentions in their hearts.

"Aeria, I've been chosen as the Warrior." Lenne exclaimed, worry coating her voice and eyes. Unknown to Lenne and Aeria, Shawn was hiding behind a tree, watching the two. He never thought that Lenne was friends with a guardian fairy.

"Oh, Lenne, your mother would've been so proud of you!" Aeria said, hugging Lenne's neck.

_Mother? Her mother was back at the house!_ Shawn thought, completely confused.

"Mother would've been happy. Aunt Diane was so good to take Megumi and me in when mom died." Lenne said quietly.

Shawn finally decided that it was time to show himself. He stood from his spot behind the tree and walked out into the clearing. Aeria was first to see him and quickly hid. Lenne, as quickly as Aeria had hid, turned around to see Shawn.

"What are you doing here?" Lenne exclaimed.

"I came after you to help you accept this." Shawn said, carefully studying her. It finally struck him. "You look nothing like the headman and his wife. You look more like a famous archeress…" Shawn's mind instantly went blank.

Lenne took a step back. "I don't know what you're talking about." She picked up her skirts again and walked back toward the stones. Shawn stood on the first two stones, his hand stretched out to her. She placed hers into his as she was coming toward him.

When she finally came to the other side, Shawn didn't let go of her hand and guided her to a rock bench. He sat against a tree, which was next to her. He then let go of her hand, instantly missing its warmth. "You know very well what I'm talking about. But I'll let you tell me when you fee like I need to know." Shawn said as he felt her relax, slightly. "However, I need to know if you are up to being a Warrior of your town. I know that this is a huge decision…and on a short period of time. There are reports that _he_ is preparing for a major war on Their Majesties. We need to start your training if we'll be able to defeat him."

"Wow. That's a lot of pressure for just one person." Her voice was quiet.

Shawn heard and quickly recovered. "Oh no, you won't be alone. You'll have the other Warriors, those of whom are still alive which includes your uncle," Worry seemed to instantly grip her body. "and you'll also have me and Louis out there with you."

Lenne stood and walked toward the lake, letting silence fall between the two. To Shawn, it seemed like forever until she spoke. At first, he could barely hear her. "I'll do it." Her voice grew louder as if the first one was just to convince herself. "I'll do it. I'll be the Warrioress."

A shadow seemed to pass over the once abandoned palace. The palace had a dark aura around the once beautiful walls and grounds. A crow flew toward an open window and onto the shoulder of a grey hair and olive green eyes boy. He looked to be about two years older than Shawn. He wore a dark brown trench coat over his black tunic. Around his neck was a copper colored gemstone.

He gingerly fed a piece of bread as he watched Lenne ride back with Shawn. He loved how beautiful the young lady had became over the ten years they were apart. "You shall be mine, Lady Lenne de Castelle." His voice had a dark tone to it. "You shall, I swear it to you."

"You're doing all this for one silly noblewoman." A feminine voice came from the dark shadows.

"Come on out, Princess Lindsey." He said as a woman with long blonde hair and long, pointy ears. She wore a rose petal and thrown crown with a deep green gown that had matching silk sleeves which went to her upper arms, just below the armpit. "Yes, your Highness. All this is to marry the most powerful sorceress's daughter. Her father pleaded with the king to spare his daughter's hand in an arranged marriage." The room seemed to get even darker than it already was. "That retched Warrior Master ruined my plans of becoming next in line for the throne." The crow on his shoulder protested the growing power that was growing inside her master. He let the magic go back into the amulet at his neck. "Sorry, Celeste."

The following day, Shawn found himself watching Lenne tend to her horses. The sunlight highlighted her light brown streaks. _Why hadn't I seen that before?_ He thought to himself. He was cleaning and sharpening his swords and knives. Lenne was putting away the various brushes and dumped a bucket of oats into the feeding stalls for her horses.

Lenne glanced at him and smiled when she caught his eyes with her own. "What are you staring at, Master Shawn Longsword."

Shawn chuckled softly. "Since when did you have those streaks in your hair?"

Lenne looked at her hair. "Oh, these?" She was holding a couple pieces, and Shawn nodded. "I've had these ever since I was little. My uncle says that I look like his late wife. She died when Megumi was a year old."

"Well she must've been beautiful." Shawn's thoughts popped out of his mouth before he could stop it.

Lenne laughed softly as a blush crept onto her cheeks. "She was beautiful, the few times I saw her."

"We should start her training. We don't know when His Majesty will call us back, and he wants her to be at least ready for battle. What will we start with?" Louis came over in a pair of fire red-orange of breeches and tunic. Around his neck was a crystal blue amulet. He bowed to Lenne while Shawn rolled his eyes as he was putting away his cleaning supplies.

"We're going to test your abilities. Master Louis will-" Shawn said as Louis interrupted him.

"Whoa! What about teaching her techniques and fighting styles?" Louis asked, completely confused.

"We will. But for now, we want to test her abilities and see where her strengths, weaknesses, focus points, and distractions lay." Shawn said, addressing Louis. He then turned his attention to Lenne. "Master Louis will create another dimension full with the kingdom's hardest and powerful enemies. Warning, this test will also go into your heart and memory. Master Louis and I will be there, only to supervise and to prevent any serious damage to you." He then moved and showed her all his weapons that he and his father had bought while he was in training and in the service of the crown and his training master.

"You mean that the people that I may have known from my earliest childhood and the people I love will be in this dimension." Lenne walked over to the table where his weapons were spread out.

"Yes." Louis stated. He looked really uncomfortable.

"Lenne? Do you want to go through with this?" Shawn asked, causing her to look back at him.

"Yeah. My lord uncle told me about this guy. If I can get to him and kill him, then I'll do this." A new look was glistening in Lenne's deep, almost melting brown eyes; determination.

"Choose your weapon, Lady Lenne." Shawn said, authority in his voice even though it was soft and kind to her.

"I'll use these weapons." She was holding two extremely sharp fans and a wooden staff.

"Let's begin." Master Louis's amulet began to glow and the area around them changed. Before Lenne was a boy with short blonde hair with startled and frightened blue eyes, was gagged and tied to a tree.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lenne nearly dropped her weapons. She had strapped the staff onto her back and the fan, folded and tied to a strap that secured the staff onto her back. She was fastening the weapons when she saw him. Lenne ran over to him and went to grab something from the small of her back when the boy's eyes widened with warning. She twirled around and had a small, plain dagger in her hand. Lenne had remained cold and undistracted as she glared at the attacker.

He lunged as Lenne did a back flip to avoid the attack. No sooner did she land, the wooden staff was unstrapped and in her hands. Lenne's face and eyes seem to stay hardened as she jumped up into the branch above her. She waited until he was right below her branch where she had silently crept onto before she jumped down on her opponent.

_She knows how to be quiet._ Shawn thought to himself, analyzing everything she did. Louis beside him watched Shawn as his magic held the spell in place.

In a blink of an eye, Lenne was down on the attacker, her pole underneath him, ready to sweep him off his feet, literally. Her muscles were fight and hardened while she pulled the wooden stick as hard as she could. He landed hard on his back while Lenne's right leg was stretched out with the pole parallel, facing her attacker. She held still for a few seconds to make sure that she wasn't under attack again before turning to the boy. She quickly grabbed the dagger she had placed back in the sheath when she grabbed the pole.

She cut the bands that held the captive. "Josh! Get out of here!"

"Wait, what about you?" Josh exclaimed pulling all the ropes off his hands and feet.

"Don't worry about me; just go." She ordered. She then smiled sweetly at him. "I'll be okay."

Josh hesitated briefly before running off into the woods. Lenne watched him disappear in the woods.

Shawn nodded to Louis to begin the next test. Louis' hands quickly made a symbol, making his amulet glowing causing Lenne to shield her eyes from the bright light.

Before she could recover from the amulet's blinding light, she felt someone hit her stomach, sending her flying into the tree behind her. When her vision finally cleared of the spots, she looked at her next attacker. Instead of being one attacker she just faced, there were four opponents. She stood up, watching the men as she unclipped her fans from their pouch. The pole she had just used was lying behind the med as they circled her on either side.

_If I'm to get out of this, I'm going to have to attack them all at once._ Lenne thought while her hand quickly untied the straps the held the fans in place. She didn't want to lose them when she was doing her acrobatics. Only she knew the complexity of the knots.

Shawn watched her hands work. So quickly that within seconds, she had untied the knots that took her a good seven minutes to tie in the most complex knot he'd ever seen. _Wow, she's been trained well._ He thought to himself as he watched her hold the fans in her hands. She didn't let the fan itself unfold as her stance when into the stance she used with one attacker.

Shawn noticed this and groaned. Louis heard and looked out of the corner of his eyes. "What?" he whispered.

"Her stance is horribly wrong." Shawn answered back quietly.

"What do you mean? That worked last time she battled!" he exclaimed quietly.

"Yeah that works with only one opponent, but not with multiple opponents. The stance she needs is one that allows easy defensive and attack. She'll fail this one."

"How do you know?"

"Her uncle, my master, gave me this same test. My father didn't tell me how my stance for multiple opponents should be." He smiled at the memory.

Lenne glared at the bruises she got from the last trail. She failed and she didn't like it. What went wrong? She had her strong stance, she watched _every_ movement, she was able to block every attack with her fans. But how could she have lost that battle? She was annoyed.

When they knocked her down, she saw the bright light of the spell ending.

"What the heck? Why did you end the test? I could've handled them!" She had yelled at the soldier and mage.

"You failed." Shawn had simple said. He then walked away with Louis close behind them.

Lenne growled with frustration as she eased herself into the cold, ice bath. She still had a couple hours until supper was served. When she walked into her room, one of the household servants was waiting for her. She had said that Shawn had informed her that Lenne would need an ice bath and something to eat.

_Why did he stop the test? How could I have failed? She taught me everything she knew!_ She thought as she went deeper in the icy water.

Shawn had stayed out by the stable and was cleaning his weapons. Lenne had left her weapons by her horse and gear. Before she went inside, she had tended to her weapons and her horse.

"She's mad." Louis had said after she walked right past him, not a word to either men.

_Well yeah, her pride was wounded. Whoever taught her how to fight was good. Can't deny that. I wonder if we'll be able to teach her in time._ Shawn thought to himself. "And what does her magic tell you about that? Why do you think she's mad? Everyone has pride, including the _Warrioress_. Whoever taught her was good but I guess they didn't teach her how to fight multiple people. Something must've happened that stopped her training." His voice had been hard toward Louis and his magic. _Magic can be helpful at times but boy, does it bug me at times._ He thought silently.

"You know Lady Lenne?" a voice called from behind him. There he saw a boy about his age and height with short blond hair and deep hazel-blue eyes.


End file.
